Development of sport psychology in Сhina

This article clarifies the historical and pedagogical features and development of the sports psychology in China. It identifies the historical and pedagogical features of the development of sports psychology in China and determine their social significance. Research methods: observation, survey, study of documents. This analysis identifies three periods of development in sports psychology: the period of data collection (1949-1970); the period of formation (1970-1990); and the period of development (since 1991). The social aspect of the development of sports psychology in China is related to the activities of the Psychological Society (CPS), which was established by the International Union of Psychological Sciences in 1980, bringing Chinese psychology back to the world stage and the formation of the Chinese Association of Social Psychology (CASP). Emphasis is placed on the social direction of sports psychology development in China and the need to further improve the competence of Chinese sports psychology practitioners in training in psychology and psychological counselling, as well as for better psychological support for Chinese athletes. The use of sports psychology in competitive sports in China is for diagnosis, monitoring, training, all of which contribute to the effective solution of athletes’ psychological problems, improves their ability to make psychological adaptations, and lays the foundation for excellent sports results. Psychological counselling includes various aspects of athletes’ mental training, including stimulating motivation, maintaining confidence, controlling emotions, avoiding difficulties, attention and concentration, overcoming accidents during training and performances, setting competition goals, adaptability, desire and team cohesion. Chinese sports psychologists have developed research into practice of participants in three directions: the psychology of competition, the psychology of exercise and the psychology of physical education.